A Day in May
(Paperback)
Publishing Details
A Day in May
By (Author) Colin Murphy
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Methuen Drama
26th October 2022
United Kingdom
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
Literary studies: plays and playwrights
822.92
Physical Properties
Paperback
96
Width 129mm, Height 198mm
Description
Theres a million in the middle - and they might go either way. On May 22nd, 2015, the people of Ireland voted resoundingly for marriage equality - making Ireland the first country in the world to introduce gay marriage by popular vote. Little about Irelands 20th-century history suggested that the country would find itself at the vanguard of LGBT+ rights. Homosexual conduct may lead a mildly homosexually-orientated person into a way of life from which he may never recover, warned the Irish Supreme Court in 1982. Homosexuality remained criminalised till 1993. But a long, hard fight by determined activists, as well as the individual efforts and sacrifices of thousands of ordinary people, gradually made the case for gay rights and, eventually, marriage equality. Colin Murphys documentary drama, based on interviews by the journalist Charlie Bird, charts the arc of that fight - culminating in the fervour of the final campaign weeks - interwoven with the personal stories of some of those who were touched by it. This edition was published to coincide with the presentation of A Day in May at Dublins Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire, in October 2022.
Author Bio
Colin Murphy writes plays about politics, and journalism. He is the author of a series of plays on Irish political history: Haughey/Gregory, on the 1982 "Gregory Deal, Inside the GPO, on the Easter Rising, Guaranteed!, on the bank guarantee of 2008, and Bailed Out!, on the subsequent crisis and Troika bailout of 2010, all produced by Fishamble. He adapted the latter two for screen, as The Guarantee and The Bailout (both produced by John Kelleher Media). He adapted the Charlie Bird book A Day in May for the stage. His verbatim dramas, Jack Duggans War and Judging Shaw (based on Fintan OTooles book of the same name) have been staged by ANU Productions. His short film Leave to Remain was made for RT Storyland (produced by Treasure Entertainment). He writes a weekly column for the Sunday Business Post.
